An ex-army logistics expert is using his skills in civilian life after joining one of the world’s biggest operations.

Darlington veteran Richard Day started working at Amazon in 2020 after joining through its military programme - aimed at finding careers for ex-service personnel after they leave the forces.

The logistics expert had been in the military for 26 years after joining the Royal Green Jackets in 1994, before transferring to the Royal Logistics Corp, where he spent a further 13 years.

After leaving the military, he wanted to see if he could put his logistics skills to the test at the fulfilment centre in Darlington.

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He secured a managerial position and joined the company in March 2020.

He said: “I did a tour of one of the Amazon sites in Doncaster with an ex-military employee at Amazon a few years ago and was immediately impressed by how smoothly the building was run. With the logistics skills I’d learned in the Army under my belt, I knew that a role at a fulfilment centre would be perfect for me, and I’d also heard that the Amazon Military Programme offered excellent support to ex-servicepersons. As far as I know, to this day, no other company provides the same opportunities for ex-military as Amazon.

“Ex-servicemen and women bring unique qualities to the table as employees, as we are trained to be empathetic and communicative. I find that members of my team open up to me about areas they’d like to improve in at work, and it’s greatly satisfying to me to see people progress and grow in their roles. There’s also an interesting intersection between military values and Amazon’s values, which make it the perfect fit as a fulfilling civilian career.”

Giving advice to other ex-servicemen or women leaving the military, he added:  “It can be scary leaving the military, but I want to encourage anyone thinking about pursuing a new career with Amazon to consider just how transferable the people management skills they’ve learned during service are.

“People shouldn’t pigeon-hole themselves or compare the hierarchy of the Army with job titles elsewhere, because they just aren’t comparable. Apply for the Amazon Military Programme and see what happens – you won’t regret it.” 

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The Amazon Military Programme offers members of the military community the opportunity to pursue a wide range of career paths, and this year the company will recruit more than 300 veterans, reservists and military spouses across the business in over 35 different jobs ranging from health and safety specialists, engineers, sales managers and team leaders to senior managers. 

Mallikarjun Erasu, General Manager at Amazon in Darlington said: “The Amazon Military Programme has been a fantastic success and Richard is one of the many brilliant veterans and reservists working in Amazon buildings here in Darlington and around the UK.

“The skills learned in the military are highly transferable to a role at Amazon and we’re pleased to continue offering employment, training and development opportunities to former servicemen and women through our programme.”

 

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